Enclosure with lockable handle



Nov. 3, 1964 T. STEGMAIER ENCLOSURE WITH LOCKABLE HANDLE Filed Dec. 31,1962 IIIII/I I/A '//IIIIII. WI/III/I/II/II INVENTOR.

BY fia fi /Ty @41 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,155,786 EN CLGSUREWITH LGQKABLE IiANDLE Louis T. Stegmaier, Plainviile, Corina, assignorto General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Dec. 31,1962, Ser. No. 248,699 1 Claim. (Cl. 200-42) My invention relates toenclosed electrical devices, such as switches and circuit breakers, andparticularly to manually operable handle means for use with suchenclosed devices.

Enclosed electrical devices of the type referred to commonly include afabricated sheet metal enclosure having an openable cover, and arotatable or twist type handle carried by the cover for disconnectiblyengaging an electrical switching device within the enclosure. Means isalso commonly provided for padlocking the handle in at least oneposition, such as the off position, for reasons of safety.

Operating handles of the type described have commonly been provided bythe prior art comprising a cast metal or molded insulating materialbody, rotatably supported on the enclosure cover, combined with metalliclocking means.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an enclosedelectrical device including manually operable means which is lessexpensive than the aforesaid molded insulating material or cast metaltypes of the prior art.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an enclosurefor an electrical switching device including manually operable handlemeans which handle means can be readily fabricated from sheet metallicmaterial and which permits locking of the device in at least oneposition thereof without the use of auxiliary separately attachedbrackets on the enclosure cover.

In accordance with the invention in one form, an enclosure is providedfor use with an electric switching device, the enclosure including agenerally planar support portion. A manually engageable handle issupported on the support portion for rotation about an axisperpendicular to the plane of the support portion. The handle includes alocking member supported thereon for rotation about an axis extendingparallel to the plane of the support portion. The locking member isrotatable about this axis between a locking position and a non-lockingposition.

The locking member includes a projection at one end which is disposedand arranged to enter into locking relation with a portion of the coverwhen the locking member is in locking position.

The locking member also includes a portion at the other end which can belocked by suitable means, such as by a padlock, with relation to thehandle when the locking member is in the aforesaid locking position.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the handle propercomprises a generally inverted U-shaped sheet metal member supportingthe locking member between its side walls. The side walls are,furthermore, extended to provide fastening tabs which hold the handleand locking member in assembled relation to a composite supporting hubon the support member, all of the aforesaid parts being fabricated fromsheet metallic material.

The invention will be more fully understood from the following detaileddescription, and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

IGURE 1 is a perspective View of an enclosed electrical control deviceincorporating the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an elevation view, partially in section, of the operatinghandle portion of the device of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 showing the handle in lockedcondition, and

FIGURE 4 is an exploded perspective view of the operating handleportion.

In the drawing, the invention is shown as incorporated in an enclosedelectrical device comprising a panelboard unit 10. The panelboard unit10 comprises a generally rectangular elongated container having a pairof switches, not shown, mounted therein, adapted to be actuated by themanually operable handle members 11 and 12. The handle members 11 and 12are mounted on generally planar support portions of the enclosure,comprising openable cover portions 13 and 14 respectively, which areretained in closed position by means of suitable catches such as 15 and16. Each of the covers 13 and 14 is hingedly supported on the enclosure10 by hinge pins 17. The handles 11 and 12 are identical inconstruction, and the construction of the handle 11 only will thereforebe described in detail.

As shown in FIGURE 4, the cover 13 is provided with a generally circularopening 13 having an arcuate enlarged portion providing a pair of spacedshoulders 19 and 26'. The opening 18 also includes a notch 21 for apurpose to be described. A generally circular spacer member 22 ispositioned within the opening 18 and includes a projecting lug 23adapted to coact with the shoulders 19 and 20 to limit rotationalmovement of the spacer 22. The spacer 22 is also provided with a pair ofslots 24- and 25, extending radially inward from the edge thereof, and asecond pair of spaced slots 26. A top retaining washer 27 is alsoprovided which is generally circular and which likewise has a pair ofslots 28, 29 extending radially inward from the edge thereof and asecond pair of spaced slots 3%, together with a central elongated slotSt. A lower retaining washer member 32 is also provided which iscircular in outline and Which has a plurality of irregular openings 33.The member 32 also carries an eccentric operating stud 34 for thepurpose of coacting with the switch operating mechanism, not shown.

A manually engageable generally inverted U-shaped handle member 36 isalso provided, having an integral bight portion 36a and a pair ofopposed side portions 36b. The side portions 36b carry a pair ofdownwardly extend ing locking lugs 37. The handle member 36 has anelongated slot 58 cut inwardly from one edge of the top or bightportion.

A locking member 39 is also included, comprising a generally circularcentral portion 40, an arcuate locking projection 41 at one end, and alock-receiving portion 4-2 having an opening 43 therein for receivingthe hasp of a padlock. The locking member 359 is biased toward retractedposition by means of a generally Ll-shaped return bent spring 44, seeFIGURE 4.

The invention is assembled by placing the spacer member 22 in theopening 18, so that the projection 23 extends into the arcuate enlargedportion between the shoulders 19 and 2d, and placing the retainingmembers 27 and 32 in position at either side of the spacer 22 on the topand bottom surfaces respectively of the cover 13 as shown in FIGURES 2and 3. The U-shaped handle member 36, with the locking member 39 and itsbias spring 44- therewithin, is then placed in position on the retainingmember 27 so that the lug portions 37 extend through the openings 39 inthe spacer member 27, through the o enings 26 in the central spacer 22and through a pair of the openings 33 in the retaining member 32,following which the lugs 37 are bent over to retain the assembly inplace. The parts are then in the condition as shown in FIGURE 2. It willbe noted that the locking member 42 is trapped in position within thehandle 36 J? by reason of the curved portion 49 fitting into the slot 31of the spacer 27. The locking member 42 is retained in extremecounterclockwise position by the spring 44: as shown in FIGURE 3.

When it is desired to lock the handle in the off position, the handle isplaced in this position, and the locking member 39 is rotated (itscentral portion th sliding in the slot 31) until the portion 42 projectsoutwardly through the slot 33 in the handle member 36 far enough for theopening 43 to be accessible above the surface of the handle 36, as shownin FIGURE 3.

The locking member 3% may be conveniently moved to locking position bypushing upwardly with one finger on the portion 42 through the adjacentopen end of the handle 36.

When the locking member 39 is rotated to locking position, the arcuatelocking tab 41 projects downwardly through the slot 28 in the retainingmember 2'7, through the slot 24 in the spacer member 22, and into thenotch 21 in the opening 18, and finally into one of the openings 33 ofthe retaining member 32. The hasp 45 of a padlock 46 may then be passedthrough the opening 43, overlying the surface of the handle member 36,thereby retaining the locking member 39 in this position.

It will be observed that in this position, because of the presence ofthe locking tab 41 in the notch 21, it is im possible to rotate thehandle member 36 in either direction away from the locked position. Whenthe lock is removed, however, the locking member 39 is returned to itsoriginal position by the action of the spring 44, thereby permittingrotational movement of the handle thereafter.

As previously noted, the tab 41 extends through the notches 28 and 24when the member 39 is in locking position. This provides lateral supportto the locking tab 41 and the locking member 39 generally, and preventsdistortion by attempted turning of the handle in the locking position.

It will be observed that by means of the retention of the locking member39 between the handle member 36 and the retainer plate 2-? with aportion thereof riding in the slot 31, the locking member 39 isrotatably supported without the necessity of a transversely extendingpivot it will also be observed that all of the parts may be readilyfabricated from flat sheet metal by conventional processes such as byblanking, bending, and piercing.

While the invention has been shown in only one particular form, it willbe readily apparent that many modia fications thereof may be made, and Itherefore intend by the appended claims to cover all such modificationsas fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters latent of the UnitedStates is:

An enclosure for an electric switching device comprising:

(a) a cover having a generally circular opening therein having aradially extending notch portion,

(b) a generally circular spacer member supported in said opening forlimited rotational movement,

(c) upper and lower retainer members disposed on opposite sides of saidspacer member respectively,

(d) said spacer member and both of said retainer members having at leastone pair of aligned apertures therein,

(e) a generally inverted U-shaped handle member having an integral bightportion and a pair of opposed side portions, said side portions having apair of locking lugs passing through said aligned apertures of saidspacer and retainer members and bent over at the underside of saidassembly,

(f) an elongated slot in said upper retainer member between said pair ofapertures,

(g) a locking member of flat sheet metallic material supported withinsaid handle member in edgewise relation to said bight portion of saidhandle member, said locking member including a generally circularcentral portion having a portion thereof slidably received in saidelongated slot in said upper retaining plate,

(It) said locking member having a locking projection adjacent one endthereof and a locking aperture adjacent the other end thereof, saidlocking member being rotatable between a first position in which saidlocking projection is out of said notch of said circular opening andsaid aperture in said locking member is inaccessibly received withinsaid handle member, and a second position in which said lockingprojection extends into said notch portion oi said circular opening andsaid aperture is accessible above the top surface of said handle toreceive the hasp of a lock member to retain said locking member in saidsecond position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,959,363 Bachman et al Aug. 23, 1960

